Judy Garland: The Voice of MGM

By Scott Brogan

A Definitive Celebration of Hollywood's Iconic Musical Star and Her Legendary Career

More than 100 years after her birth, Judy Garland remains the gold standard by which all movie musical leading ladies are judged. She is revered and celebrated by current stars, directors, songwriters, and others in the entertainment industry. She also has a fan base that is as large as that of Marilyn Monroe or James Dean. Her image, especially "Dorothy" in The Wizard of Oz (1939), is an instantly recognized icon. Garland really was the voice of MGM during her tenure and after. No documentary about any aspect of the history of the MGM Studios is complete without Garland's voice on the soundtrack. When people think of MGM Musicals, they think of Garland along with Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire. She's the only female in that exalted "top three." There have been many books about Garland's fabled and troubled life, but none devoted solely to the study (and celebration) of her years at MGM. She entered the studio as a 13-year-old contract player in 1935. She left the studio in 1950 carrying the title "Metro's Greatest Asset." Judy Garland: The Voice of MGM will focus on Garland's films, but it will also delve into her other professional achievements such as her extensive appearances on radio programs, her long association with Decca Records, and her personal appearances, highlighted by her two USO Bond Tours in the early 1940s. This will be the definitive book about Garland's legendary career at MGM, pulling back the curtain to reveal the truths about that career while also presenting previously unknown details and facts that are sure to delight her fans as well as fans of classic film.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1493086545
• ISBN13: 9781493086542
• Release Date: June 2025
• Publisher: Lyons Press
• Length: 416 Pages
• Weight: 3.70 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 8.7" x 11.0"

Customer Reviews

Revisionism

Alyssa Griffin, the Marketing Manager of The Globe Pequot Publishing Group, Inc., had the kindness to send me an advance copy of this book many months ago to review for the ARSC Journal, where it appears in the Spring 2025 edition. My review there has been edited down for publication reasons, but the unabridged version will be published in my fourth BearManor Media book, UNFETTERED: Words on Music by a Hi-Def Critic in an MP3 World, Volume II, that also includes All About Yves, a Foreword by Joe Marchese, who heads the website The Second Disc, and will be published in early 2026. In passing, I would note that Mr. Brogan’s account of the discovery and licensing of Garland’s 1935 lost Decca tests, of which I played an intimate role and which took me over a year to negotiate, is pure fiction and not at all historically accurate. This revisionism, dishonorable for anyone who claims to be an author, is dealt with in my review. Lawrence Schulman Author of: Garland: That’s Beyond Entertainment – Reflections on Judy Garland, Volumes I and II (BearManor Media, 2023) and others Represented by: Alice Speilburg, Speilburg Literary Agency